Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Anadolu University, 26470, Eskisehir, Turkey,
Cytotechnology. 2003 Nov;43(1-3):149-54. doi: 10.1023/b:cyto.0000039917.60348.45.
Carvacrol, the predominant monoterpene in many essential oils of Labitae including Origanum, Satureja, Thymbra, Thymus, and Corydothymus has substantial antibacterial, antifungal, antihelmintic, insecticial, analgesic and antioxidant activities. Approximately 75% of lung cancer is non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) which comprises several histologic types squamous cell, adenocarcinoma and large cell carcinoma. It was reported that the portion of lung tumors diagnosed as denocarcinoma has increased. Thus a human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell line, A549 was chosen for this study.To investigate the effects of carvacrol on cell morphology, apoptosis and total protein amount, the cells incubated with various concentration of carvacrol in DMSO for 24 h. In carvacrol applied A549 cell line, increase in dose of carvacrol caused a decrease in cell number, degeneration of cell morphology and a decrease in total protein amount. To characterize carvacrol induced changes in cell morphology, cells were examined by light microscopy. Cells were treated with carvacrol were seen to have detached from the disk, with cell rounding, cytoplasmic blebbing and irregularity in shape. The data demonstrate that carvacrol is very potent inhibitor of cell growth in A549 cell line.
香芹酚是许多唇形科植物精油的主要单萜类化合物，包括牛至、山艾、百里香、麝香草和克里多蒂姆斯，具有很强的抗菌、抗真菌、抗寄生虫、杀虫、镇痛和抗氧化活性。大约 75%的肺癌是非小细胞癌（NSCLC），包括几种组织学类型：鳞状细胞癌、腺癌和大细胞癌。据报道，被诊断为腺癌的肺癌肿瘤部分有所增加。因此，选择人非小细胞肺癌（NSCLC）细胞系 A549 进行本研究。为了研究香芹酚对细胞形态、细胞凋亡和总蛋白含量的影响，将细胞在 DMSO 中用不同浓度的香芹酚孵育 24 小时。在应用香芹酚的 A549 细胞系中，香芹酚剂量的增加导致细胞数量减少、细胞形态退化和总蛋白含量减少。为了描述香芹酚诱导的细胞形态变化，用光学显微镜检查细胞。用香芹酚处理的细胞从盘上脱落，细胞变圆，细胞质起泡，形状不规则。这些数据表明，香芹酚是 A549 细胞系中非常有效的细胞生长抑制剂。
